Let the Games Begin
by VaneBledsoe
Summary: The strife of two young MechWarriors that step into the Big Leauges for the First time.
1. Ambitions

Rome, Italy 

_Ancient Terra 200 B.C._

_Two Gladiators stood firm and strong, their armor and hands stained by the blood of others, yet still shining radiantly in the hot sunlight. They were sucking the air greedily from inside their helmets, and every time they drew a breath, it sounded as if there were beasts behind their blood stained masks. They stood amidst the bodies of the fallen, their mangled and broken bodies strewn in various ways across the arena. They were the last, they were the survivors, and they patiently awaited the verdict of their audience. At length the Emperor stood and they bowed. Then he spoke in a voice that thundered through the stadium for all to hear, he had chosen the winner._

_"Rise gallant warriors, for thou has played the game fairly,_

_Rise o mighty warriors, for my decision now is made rarely."_

_"I have heard your battle cry, I have seen you slay,_

_I have seen your bloodstained swords, and I won't forget this day."_

_"The game today where the Victor cannot be justly decided,_

_So I call for a final duel, so the winner shall be sighted."_

_The Emperor sat down and the two Gladiators rose once again. They turned each other, and the Emperor said:_

_"Let the Games Begin!"_

Joe Rolles Bar, 

Silesias, Solaris IV 

Three men stood at a table in the local bar. One was a middle-aged man, with a seemingly gentle appearance, yet he spoke to the two others in a harsh and gruff voice. 

"You can't seriously be thinking of starting in the season." He said, "Yes you know how to pilot a mech but that's nothing boys, they're murderous out there, there's no way you rookies can even think about starting without-"

One of the younger men interrupted him. He had dirty blonde hair that ran to his shoulders and a short cut goatee, "Without some good training and practice." He said.

"Listen Chuck, we were mercs for five god damned years. Don't call us inexperienced rookies. Take a look at our mechs, we worked our damn asses off to earn them."

The older man rolled his eyes, "I understand that. I understand that you were good mercs." He grinned, "I was a pretty good man myself, but in many cases, the Arena is worse than the battlefield."

"It doesn't matter what mechs you've got, that just explains what a rich prick you are. What matters is your skill…your skill to pilot, your will to dominate, your acceptance to lose… There's a lot more on the line than just your life you know. "

"The third man looked up, he was handsome, brown haired, and spoke with a clear English accent. "Yes, yes Chuck we got all those. Were ready in every way possible. But what else is on the line other than your life? When you're in your mech and your fighting the enemy, that's the only thing that matters. Yeah the money doesn't hurt, but when your-"

"On the battle field…" Chuck finished for him. "That's just the thing about you rookies, you don't realize just what you're getting into."

"You wanna know what's at risk? Honor, pride, money, respect, skill…they are all invaluable assets to the pilot and are just as easy to lose as they are to gain."

"Honor…I've seen it play right before my eyes, when you lose that, there's nothing left. I've seen those Kuritan boys commit suicide because they failed. They say they've got no honor left to carry them on."

"Pride, one of the most important elements in a warriors soul." He looked at the first man and added, "It doesn't help if you have the ego as big as a Dyson's Sphere." 

The first man shot him an indignant look but didn't interrupt.

"You get pride and joy by winning. If you lose it, it's easily replaced with depression."

"If you lose a game, you also lose respect. There's the crowd and your fans. You lose a match, they lose their bids and thus you also lose their respect. And it goes beyond the walls of the arena too."

The third man practically blew up, "Oy! What in the bloody hell are you doing? Don't discourage us! We told you we're prepared for the consequences, what more do you want old man?"

Old Chuck didn't respond, instead just took a long pull from his ale. At length he finally said, "Alex, I'm not discouraging you. I'm just warning you about what might happen. Take it from me…" his voice trailed off as he said so.

Alex thrust himself back in his seat, feeling guilty for speaking to his dear friend like that. "I'm sorry Chuck, but we've only received flak from everyone we've told. I thought you might understand…I mean, we're more than qualified aren't we?"

"Oh I know your qualified…but heed my warning." He leaned closer to them.

"Your opposition will be strong and fierce, they will not give up, and they will be relentless. They will do whatever it takes to win…whatever it takes, no matter the cost."

"And so we will do the same." The first man replied. "Have faith in us chuck, we'll win."

Chuck grinned, "You are young, ambitious, and downright stupid Kyle, yet I will always have faith in you."

The three men stood up and made to leave the table.

"Remember, if you ever need me or need some help, you know where to find me." Chuck said

They walked out of the bar and stood in the cold night. Chuck raised his hand for a cab.

As it pulled to a stop he opened the door to get in but paused half way. He turned his head to them and said, "Always remember what I've taught you two, and good luck to the both of you…you're going to need it."

Alex nodded, "Thanks for all that you've done for us old man, and good journey yourself."

Chuck nodded solemnly and stepped into the cab. The two men stared after it for a while as it sped off, and finally turned and headed down the street.

Gah…short again….Ok people, I wrote this on a different computer with Word 2000 so I don't know if it will turn out right. And um…stupid Gladiator thing at the top…I really wasn't awake when I did that. Definite grammatical errors but they are mostly in the way the characters talk. There won't be any mech fighting for a while, so bear with me a bit. But the chapters will be short until then. This is a new installment to my mech works I guess (though I cant say I've written an archive) and I hope for this to keep running. Also I'm working on two other stories and I recently broke my ankle so things are going to come along pretty slow. Ah well. -.-

Shank

Lead…tastes great, less filling.


	2. GameSetMatch

Mech Hanger, Silesias Spaceport 

_Silesias, Solaris IV_

"Hurry it up will ya? I haven't got all day!" Alex yelled up at the band of technicians who were lazily eating their lunch atop his _Fanfir_. 

"Were on Wunch Brake! Tafe iff eafy!" A technician yelled back down to him with his mouth full. 

Alex gritted his teeth, "Damn lazy buggers." He muttered to himself. 

He wandered towards Kyle's spot and found him in the same situation, except he was holding a tech by the collar. 

"Get your god damned Asses in gear! I got a match today and I don't want ANYTHING missed, malfunction, or destroyed. Do I make myself clear?" He was yelling in a drill sergeant-like tone. The tech gulped audibly and nodded. Kyle threw him off and the poor mechanic scuttled away.

"Temper, temper," Alex mused. "If you treat them like that, they won't want to work for us anymore." 

Kyle stared morosely at his prized _Masakari_, "Well, you understand how I feel. Today's our big day, I don't want to go in with anything wrong."

"Yeh, but unfortunately the techs could care less about your situation, you have to understand _that_." He said sympathetically. 

"Oh and I have good news, they've approved us for being a team."

Kyle smiled, "Excellent. Well that's a relief, I don't want to be out there fighting my best bud." He said punching Alex's shoulder lightly.

Alex returned the punch and returned to getting the techs off their lazy posteriors and on to maintaining his _Fanfir._

_Steiner Coliseum, _

_Silesias, Solaris IV_

Kyle walked his mech into the enormous coliseum. He read once that it was roughly 900 meters long and 500 meters wide. He had seen the matches in the stands and behind the protective shielding, but he had never seen it from the pilot's point of view. He strained his eyes to see to the other side of the arena. He could make out the towering figure of an _Atlas_ and a _Daishi_ striding in smoothly. On his right there was a new _Mad Cat MKII_, a _Templar_, and a _Highlander._ To the left side of the stadium he saw a _Zeus, _and a_ Victor._ All of them were notorious assault mechs, and all with notorious veteran pilots. 

He turned quickly and looked behind him as the doors to the exits slammed shut. Then he looked once more to his adversaries and gulped loudly. 

_Maybe I should have started in the light division, instead of jumping the gun._ He slapped himself mentally for his arrogance and impatience. Then he slapped himself again for having second thoughts.

_No, _he thought_. It's too late to go back now._

He heard the announcer come on the open frequency and speakers around the stadium. "Welcome Solaris fans! This is Duncan Fisher live from the Coliseum. Oh ho, that's right people it's Coliseum time! The only place where fans can actually watch the games live and from the _real_ spectator's view!_"_

"We have many great players out there today, and some that are stepping into the Assault division for the first time. Well, lets all wish them luck. I can see the timer, let the Games Begin!"

Kyle heard the loud horn, signaling the start of the match. He slammed his _Masakari's _speed to full throttle, and began sweeping the area immediately for a target.

He decided on the _Mad Cat Mk II_, as it was already firing some weapons at him. __

Kyle grinned momentarily. _This is gonna be fun…_he thought to himself.

Kyle had arranged his mech's weaponry very wisely, if not expensive. He had designed the load-out specifically for the Coliseum so that he had the advantage in every aspect.

The _Masakari_ was armed with two Clan ER Large Lasers, and two Clan Medium Pulse Lasers, as well as two light gauss rifles so that he could reach his targets from anywhere in the stadium, and a LRM 5. The cost of his firepower had to be paid in armor. He had to strip at least a ton of armor off of each leg to fit the weight capacity. Nonetheless, he still had a lot of it to spare, and the firepower ensured that its weakness would not be stressed.

The _Maddie_ fired two gauss slugs at him, and both passed wide of their target. _The Masakari _replied with a full spread of its lasers. Two ER Large Lasers struck the left leg of the _Maddie_ and several darts of green energy from the medium pulse lasers struck marks all over the mech.

The _Mad Cat II_ had recovered from the assault and replied with a full salvo of class 6 Streak SRM's. Kyle gritted his teeth and braced himself when the brutal return scored all over his mech. He grimaced as his damage indicators estimated about a half-ton loss in armor. Nothing serious, but he still had seven assault mechs to deal with.

The two began to circle each other. Kyle noticed the absence of jump jets on the _Mad Cat II_, probably made up for in armor and firepower. 

He fired off a gauss slug, and smiled as it connected squarely with the enemy's center torso. The _Maddie_ staggered back wards, and Kyle fired off another gauss slug and one of his large lasers. He didn't want to allow the _Maddie_ a chance to fire back.

The laser passed high, but still hit the left 'ear' of the _Mad Cat II_, causing molten metal to trickle down the rack and plug up several missile tubes. The gauss slug connected with the _Maddie's _left arm and shattered upon impact, and the nickel iron shards tore deep into the armor of the arm and removed nearly all if it.

The _Maddie _recovered quickly from the assault and now fired off all its weapons, the pilot fueled by a desperate attempt at blowing Kyle away before he could inflict too much damage.

Kyle bounced around in his command couch as a Gauss slug connected with his right torso. He struggled to keep his _Masakari _on its feet and was overcome when a barrage of lasers and ten Streak SRM's exploded all over his mech. The massive assault chassis fell back and crashed to the ground with a sickening crunch.

When he came to his senses, Kyle swore that he could see stars revolving merrily around his head, and he swore again as he saw the _Mad Cat II_ loom over him and aim on of its arms directly at his center torso.

In a lightning quick movement, Kyle brought the _Masakari's _arm up and fired away a gauss slug and his second ER large laser. The shots connected with the underside of the _Maddie's _center torso, and sent the nose pointing high in the air.

Kyle sensed his opportunity and fired another gauss slug at the _Mad Cat II_ along with a spread of LRM's. The second slug threw off the _Maddie's _balance and it started hopping backwards, alternating feet. Kyle fired his last ER large laser and the _Mad Cat _went crumbling to the ground.

Kyle got his _Masakari _up quickly and started bombarding the fallen _Mad Cat_ with his pulse lasers. The _Maddie _struggled to get to its feet as the emerald green darts scored tiny sizzling holes all over it. Despite its effort, Kyle could not let the _Maddie_ do anymore damage to him, and he fired both of his large lasers at the gyro of the mech and scored his first kill in the Coliseum.

"Well fans, _that _is some top-quality mech action for you!" Duncan's voice boomed over the open frequency. "I hope you saw that Solaris fans, because you can't pay for entertainment like that. His fall, his recovery, and his startling victory, what a kill! Something tells me we'll be seeing more of that kid in the future."

Kyle beamed as he saw an ejection pod burst from the _Mad Cat II_ and looked for another target. "One down, six to go." He said.

He ran his mech over to the opposite side of the stadium and locked on to the _Highlander,_ the _Templar_, and the_ Atlas,_ who were all locked in a never-ending attrition. He checked his sensors and saw that all of them were nearing the critical reading, and that would be a chance to score some easy kills.

He locked on to the _Atlas_ from 700 meters and fired both his gauss rifles to get its attention. One passed just wide of the _Atlas's _torso, while the other hit square in the center.

The _Atlas_ doubled up; as if it had the wind knocked out of it, and actually put one arm in front of its chest to protect its exposed internals. The _Highlander_ sought to finish the crippled giant but was thrown back by the _Atlas's _free fist. The _Highlander_ staggered back and instead decided to pick on the assailant of the _Atlas._ However, the only things that he turned to see were two gauss slugs heading towards his chest. 

The first shot connected squarely with the center torso of the _Highlander_ and managed to blow through the armor but failed to harm the internals. The second, however streaked right through the chassis and cored all of the fragile systems held there…including the core.

The kill horn sounded. Kyle smiled again as he saw an ejection pod burst from the head and the rest of the destroyed chassis explode in a blinding white light.

The _Templar _had been trying to take advantage of the situation by firing a LBX shot gun at the stationary _Atlas_. However, the _Atlas's _thick armor and supreme weaponry would not allow so.

The _Atlas_, though on one knee, had kept the _Templar_ at bay by firing its eye-mounted pulse laser. Or in this case…X-pulse laser. Kyle grinded his teeth as the odds got worse for him. He decided he needed to take down the _Atlas_ while it was still a sitting duck, and fired his ER lasers in the _Atlas's _direction.

One laser struck the ground near the behemoth's foot tossing dirt up dirt into the _Atlas's _face, and the other scored the upright leg, sending glowing orange rivulets running down its shin.

The _Atlas _looked up from the sudden attack and immediately fired two PPC's in Kyle's direction. He grimaced as the two artificial lightning bolts splashed on either side of his cockpit. _He's good_. Kyle thought as he shook the sweat off his face. 

The kill horn sounded as soon as the _Atlas_ brought down the _Templar_ with a final blow from its gauss rifle, and itpaused for a moment before standing back up. 

It re-covered its chest with its arm to protect its exposed innards, and then charged Kyle's _Masakari_ with the remarkable semblance of a freight train. 

The _Atlas_ has ever been the symbol of superiority and victory. For a century, the very name of the _Atlas_ struck fear into even the most seasoned and veteran pilots. There was a saying that went: Say the name _Atlas_ and your listeners will shudder in fear and think of the (almost) grinning death head of the mech. Say the name _Atlas_ again and listen to them tell you how lucky you were to survive your encounter with it. 

Kyle had been up against an _Atlas_ before _and_ he was the one to score the kill. However, blinded by his arrogance, Kyle had yet to learn just _how_ deadly the _Atlas_ was in the hands of an elite. 

He cursed as four streams of X-pulse lasers began to strike his mech with ferocity. He gave a single glance to his damage indicators, and a bead of sweat ran down the side of his face as he saw his readings go from orange to red. 

He replied to the _Atlas_ with both his Gauss Rifles. The slugs reeled towards the _Atlas_ with desperate speed. The slugs slammed perfectly into the _Atlas_, Kyle saw whole chunks of armor flying off every-which way, yet the shot that would have counted the most was blocked by its protective arm.

In the background he heard two more horns blow. 

Duncan's voice roared over the open frequency. "Holy Cow! Just a tip to all you rookie pilots out there, you _don't_ want to be in a melee range when your enemy's reactor goes critical. Oh well, that's two birds down without a stone thrown. Better luck next time." 

He looked at his sensor readings, they told him that the _Atlas_ was very near death as well, and he just needed to blow off that goddamned arm.

Suddenly the _Atlas_ slowed its pace and all of its movements. Kyle knew that the _Atlas_ was lining up for a final shot, and from the way the _Atlas_ was taking its time it was probably aiming its Gauss Rifle.

Immediately Kyle veered to the right, and true to his instincts, a gauss slug pierced the space that he had just evacuated. He turned his torso back to the _Atlas_, and let loose his full array of lasers.

The two emerald beams struck the protective arm of the _Atlas_ with utmost precision. And in a mix of melted armor, explosions, and light, the arm was finally blown off. The two pulse lasers followed suit, and little by little they wore away the protective engine shielding. 

The kill horn blared and Kyle saw an ejection pod burst from the mighty _Atlas_. Kyle did not smile this time. Even though he had just secured himself second place, he couldn't let his pride and ego show now. He had won on pure luck, and he knew it.

He let out a heavy sigh and let his heat levels fall. His damage indicators told him almost all of the armor on his upper torso was gone, and several heat sinks had been damaged. 

He enjoyed the brief moment of peace, but of course, it was _very _brief. For as soon as Kyle looked up from his displays, several AC rounds tore into his right arm and completely destroyed it. 

Kyle cursed and looked at his final adversary, a _Daishi_ was striding towards him with its guns blazing. He gave it a dumb blank, exasperated look before convincing his limbs to move. He slammed his throttle to full, and tried to circle the slow moving _Daishi_, re-routing the ammunition from the gauss rifle in that arm to the other.

The _Daishi_ unleashed a massive barrage of pulse lasers on Kyle's badly damaged _Masakari_, which began dripping melted armor off of its limbs. Yet there wasn't very much armor left to melt.

Kyle's displays now told him of an imminent engine meltdown, red lights and sirens confirmed this and Kyle knew that was his cue. He looked up and sighed yet again.

"Well…that was fun." He said and pulled the ejection handle.

Ok that was still really short…BAH! T-T. Ah well, I made this story because I need practice with mech action. Sorry if I wasn't too detailed, but I've learned that when I try to color things up...They get really cheesy. Maybe it's not the same for mech action but I'm still a writer in progress. Oh and in case you haven't guessed already, this story revolves entirely around Mech Warrior 4: Mercenaries. 

Shank

Lead…Tastes great, less filling.


	3. Enter, The Wayward Clanner

_Radisson Hotels, Room 502, 4th Floor,_

Silesias, Solaris VII 

"Oh Christ Kyle cheer up!" Alex said to a lump in the corner. "You placed second and you beat every damned assault mech that fired a shot your way! Including an _Atlas_ piloted by Peter Vargas!"

The lump on the sofa grunted. "I still didn't win." It said

Alex slapped his hand on his forehead and dragged it down over his eyes. 

"Hopeless. Utterly, hopeless. Listen that last mech was a _Daishi_, or basically an _Atlas_ on chicken legs and it had received barely any damage compared to what you had sustained."

"I still didn't win." The lump said.

"You don't have to win at every thing you do the first time you do it! What were you expecting when you saw your opponents, eh? I'll wager that you didn't think you would just blow them away the first time. In fact, I think that you thought that it would be a very tough competition, and that you probably would lose. Didn't you?"

Kyle changed the subject. "I was thinking that we should enter the light or medium circuit. You know…instead of jumping the gun."

Alex rolled his eyes but played along. "And where do you think we'll get a light mech, hmm? Why now, your _Masakari _is too busted up to be any use to sell. We would have to sell…my…"

Alex paused his sentence short of the end and turned his head to the lump on the couch, which now had a evil grin spread across its face."

"Oh-ho no you don't! No way Kyle, you'll have to kill me first!"

The next day Alex was seen clutching a handhold on his _Fafnir_ while many techs, security officers, and Kyle tried to drag him off of it. 

"I'll never forget this you bastard!" He called to Kyle over his shoulder.

Kyle winced when he heard this. That _Fafnir_ had probably been Alex's only pride and joy, he had defeated many tough odds piloting it and it had almost become somewhat of a gargantuan brother to him. To a pilot, a mech can sometimes be the only friend that you have, and that's certainly true in many merc situations. Kyle didn't like taking his best friend's possession away; however, they had to sell it for some good light mechs to use. And his _Masakari_ wouldn't be ready to sell for at least a couple weeks.

The day after his conscience got the best of him and Kyle struck an amazing deal with the dealership owner to save his _Fafnir_ from any interested customers. In exchange he would donate a large percentage of the prize money that he would win in the circuits. 

They both decided that they would share two mechs and participate in the light and medium circuits, to keep both popularity and their budget up. They chose on a slightly modified _Cougar _and a _Hellhound_ with a lot of Omni variability for configuration perfection. They also bought a bunch of weapons they thought were necessary for the up-coming matches. 

The _Cougar_ that they bought was a product of the clan invasion and had passed from owner to owner ever since. Nonetheless, even though Alex was used to piloting his extremely slow _Fafnir_, he had previously been a top-notch racer as well, and he knew the value of clan technology, whether it built up heat or not. 

The _Cougar _was loaded with two ER Large Lasers, and dual Streak SRM 6's. They toned down the top speed of the _Cougar_ to its bare minimum, to compensate for the five years that Alex had been using his _Fafnir_, and they were able to keep the armor tonnage at a decent level.

The _Hellhound_ that they purchased had come with its original configuration but Kyle had insisted on buying extra weapons with their extra money. Kyle liked variety in his mech, and though he was pilot and not a tech, he knew which weapons to use, where to put them, how many heat sinks he needed, and so on. He was an excellent variant designer and his configurations had often saved both of their asses. 

Kyle's favorite configuration for the _Hellhound_ was two ER Large Lasers, two LRM10's, and a Clan Ultra AC 2. He decided to keep the original LBX-10 Scattershot and the SRM launcher in his arsenal for when he really needed the close quarters fire support. The rest of the weapons were sold off for newer, better ones and for money to keep the technicians happy.

They minimized the speed on the _Hellhound_ as well, because neither Kyle nor Alex had piloted anything under the heavy class for a very long time. He also ordered the techs to install Clan Ferro-Fibborus armor that he had bought with the prize money from his previous match. 

Kyle and Alex also had never really trusted Inner Sphere weapons and technology. They had from the beginning been clan tech hunters, always looking for the best way to beat the enemy. They knew the value of clan tech, and how it could be _invaluable_ on the field. Of course, it never came cheap, and much clan tech traded power for heat efficiency, something many Inner Sphere pilots couldn't do without. Kyle and Alex were two men that could always take the heat…literally. 

Kyle was born in the middle of a desert on Terra; his family had been refugees hiding in the Mojave Desert of California. Shortly after Kyle turned thirteen years old, his family escaped the oppressing Word of Blake forces by the skin of their teeth and ran around the stars of the Chaos March guised as Freelancers working for whomever needed them. 

He broke away from his family when he was eighteen and traveled to Outreach to learn some basic piloting skills. There he met Alex, a graduate of the academies and a very well known racer. The two banded up and had been working for various mercenary factions ever since.

Alex was the son of a Steiner war hero that died in a dramatic battle of the Clan Wars. The details of his father's death remained confidential, and they only reported that they shared his grievances and the rest of him was already cremated. After hearing of his father's death Alex enrolled himself into the Wolf Dragoon's Academy on Outreach. There he became a promising student and was granted a _Cougar_ by his instructor, Sgt. Chuck Masters. 

When he graduated he kept the _Cougar_ and participated in many Mech Races including the Ishiyama Black Mountain Cup. He became a local favorite and later on decided that merc business was the business for him. There he met Kyle still working his way up though the Academy ranks and joined up with him.

They joined a group of mercs called the Silent Reapers, funded by the Dragoons. Shortly after, they were called to New Exford where Jade Falcon activity was getting on the nerves of many Lyran Alliance Border Officials. There they learned the value and power of Clan Technology and Clan Omni Mechs.  
They were forced to retreat from the planet and let a stronger merc faction pull in after their commander was killed in the fighting. After the defeat the two mercs pulled what was left of their faction and created a new one, bigger, better, and stronger than before. Unfortunately that too was also eradicated due to W.O.B. presence on one of their contracts, save for Kyle and Alex's company that were still in transit to the system.

So it is then that they decided that they needed to think wiser about the choices they were given. The choices that they had made had cost them the lives of many of their friends, and they didn't want to bring any more harm to the people that they met. 

They turned to Sgt. Masters once again for help. With his aid and good word, they were able to be approved by an elite group of mercs who needed some fresh and highly skilled men for their current assignment.

The luck turned in their favor from there on out, and the two were able to work up through the ranks and become the noble pilots that they dreamed of being. But neither man thought of it as enough. 

After five years of fighting countless battles and becoming officers, they still hadn't made their names appear in the Comstar headlines. So one day their faction pulled into Solaris VII for some good old rest and relaxation, when lo-and-behold, they discovered the mech fights. After breaking with their faction, they immediately signed up for the next season and they now where we started from. 

_Factory Fighting Arena, Open Season,_

_Light Circuit, 5th match of Season,_

_Montenegro, Solaris VII_

Alex gaped at the massive arena. It was so big that it housed normal office buildings, giant machinery, and even a lake. He also saw a river of lava running around the arena near the wall...This place was awesome! Yet it still seemed so very small and close together, he guessed that the continuous high-walls and obstacles were to blame. Plus, for an indoor factory, it also seemed pretty hilly and rough. This was going to be a great fight.

He got a signal from the overseer. "Alright people, the match is about to start. You have two minutes to run your systems checks and startup. Luck."

Alex grinned, and pressed the startup button… He heard the AI voice of the mech speak softly, dubbed Alora. 

_This is Alora; tell me your name and Call sign._

"My name is Alex Delever, but just call me Maxim ok?"

All right then Maxim, tell me your password and we'll get this party started. 

"That's my girl!"

Password accepted. Now hang on, you're in for a ride! 

Alex grinned again; he loved these custom AI systems that you could get for no extra fee, the AI on his _Fafnir_ happened to be one called Goliath, and he had that for a long time, but for the most part, all other mechs he had piloted had the regular artificial female voice in them. 

Reactor…Online. 

_Sensors…Online._

_Weapons…Online._

_All Systems…Nominal._

The _Cougar _lifted up from its hunch-backed position. He immediately swept the area with his torso and scanned for his opponents. There were walls 300 meters in front of him so all he could do was scan for active enemies, but he spotted an _Osiris _waiting patiently some 600 meters to his left, and an _Uller_ that was still shut down maybe 500 meters to his right. 

He looked at the surrounding terrain. He was in a somewhat open lot where the abandoned office buildings were. A massive generator and walls beyond it blocked his view of the arena beyond. He looked up at the lights and spotted a large network of metal beams that spread across the entire factory.

_Maybe if I could get up there…_

"Welcome Solaris Fans!" The sound of Duncan's voice rocked him from his thought.

"It's a beautiful day today here in Montenegro. To bad that these pilots can't enjoy it though, they'll be locked in the biggest junk pile on Solaris fighting it out until one comes victorious. Let's all wish them luck!"

The starting horn blared, and Alex slammed his throttle to full and began to work his pedals furiously. 

_Leg coordination….that's the key...come on…you can do this! _Alex tried to encourage himself. He sped towards the _Uller, _who immediately broke into a run as well, and they began to circle each other. 

He immediately came under a hail of laser and machine gun fire. Pulse lasers fired from the _Uller _began topepper small amounts of damage all over his mech.

He let the crosshairs fall over the _Uller._ As soon as he saw them turn red, he unleashed his ER Large lasers upon the tiny mech. One beam passed the _Uller_ just wide of the torso, and the second struck home on the left shoulder of the tiny mech. Instantly large globs of molten armor splashed off the mech's shoulder and onto the ground creating hissing potholes wherever they landed.

The _Uller _retaliated with a salvo of CSTRK 6's and a hell fire of machine guns. The lead bullets bounced harmlessly off his thick chassis but he winced when the missiles struck all over his mech. He blinked and suddenly his damage indicator turned his right torso from green to yellow. 

He fired back at the _Uller_ with full fury. Twelve Streak SRM's blew armor off the now stumbling _Uller,_ unable to take such a beating and keep balanced at the same time. Bits of armor flew off the mech and littered the surrounding ground. A second after the blow the _Uller _was able to regain its footing, but not before Alex fired both of his large lasers directly at its legs.

One laser hit the leg squarely and scored a deep gash across the _Uller's _left leg. Molten armor trickled down the leg and dripped onto the ground scoring battle scars in the hard Ferro-Crete. The other laser blew a hole in the ground right before the _Uller's _feet. The tiny mech tripped and fell to the ground. The view-port of the tiny mech shattered upon impact, and a second later an ejection pod burst from the fallen mech. The kill horn sounded, and Alex scored his first kill in the Solaris Games. 

Alex slowed to a halt to let his heat levels go down and so he could get a hold of his surroundings again. After spinning in circles at 82 k.p.h, he had gotten a little dizzy and light-headed. Still, after years of piloting that awfully slow _Fafnir_, he was glad that he was finally back in the cockpit of a light, tiny, and speed demon of a mech. He scanned for more enemies and found a group of three other lights battling it out in the lake. He thrust the throttle to full again, and hoped he could get there in time before there wasn't anything left for him to kill. 

He maneuvered around the high-walls and the many obstacles that came his way. There were pieces of equipment everywhere, he spotted the upper torso of a _Templar _sticking out of the ground and he nearly tripped on several arms of mechs that were to rusty and destroyed to identify. Navigating through here was tough; more time on the simulators would probably clear that up. 

Another kill horn sounded, and Duncan's voice echoed over the open frequency. "There's something I like about these light circuit fights, and that's that they are long, and give the viewer one of the best senses of action. Think about it, they're hurling around at awesome speeds fighting each other with all they've got. And sometimes all they have is a couple of Machine Guns, but that doesn't matter, sometimes that's all it takes. Another thing I love is the ferocity of the pilots on the field, and how they have the courage and endurance to keep battling out until the very end."

He entered the area where the lake was, and he found a red _Raven_, the Osiris that he saw earlier and a _Cougar _with a green paint job. 

As soon as he entered the lake a stray missile nearly hit his cockpit, the three fighters were in one of the fiercest melees Alex had ever seen. Each one was jumping over another, firing weapons as if heat and damage weren't factors, and running around at their very top speed. Alex began to feel slightly nauseated just watching them. He shook off the feeling and entered the fray.

He charged the _Cougar _with the green paint job, and just as he was about to pull the trigger, the green _Cougar_ shot two lasers at the _Osiris _and hit it directly in its center torso. The lasers melted away the rest of the armor and hit the engine. An ejection pod immediately burst from the still standing _Osirus _and its engine went critical. The blast enveloped the _Raven_, who was knocked off its feet from the force of the blast. The fire engulfed the _Raven_ and a burning ejection pod shot out of the flames trailing fire and smoke.

The kill horn blared loudly, and Duncan was ecstatic. "Woah! That can't be good, lets hope that _Raven_ pilot is all right. But better yet lets take a look at that _Cougar_! That was amazing! One of the most action filled fights I've ever seen, that pilot defiantly knows what he is doing."

The green _Cougar _turned around to face Alex's mech. They sat for a brief moment looking at one another before Alex started to run in a circle. Something told him this wasn't going to be easy…

"Do you wish to fight me Freebirth?" The _Cougar's _pilot echoed over his frequency.

What in god's name? A CLANNER?! Here?!? He gulped and thought about his answer before replying. 

"Aff, Clan warrior. Give me all that you've got and don't take me lightly. You wouldn't want to be beaten by a filthy freebirth like me? Quineg?" He said in a mocking tone.

The clanner laughed, "Neg, but I doubt that you will be able to get very far with me. Let us fight!"

He broke into the circle as well and immediately started throwing his entire arsenal at Alex's mech. Alex noted with a slight tinge of anger the insignia on the clanner's mech. 

The Jade Falcon's.

They broke the circle and charged head long at each other, Alex fired both his CSTRK 6's at the Clanner, all of the missiles hit home but the clanner didn't even blink and returned fire with one ER large laser and a hell fire of Pulse Lasers. Alex winced as the Large Laser hit his other shoulder and rocked his mechs torso to the right. He fired his jump jets right before the two were about to collide and narrowly avoided a disastrous crash. 

The clanner, predicting the move, immediately spun his mech around while Alex did the same in the air. He feathered his fall, and quickly jumped to the side again, this time dogging a deadly attack from some LRM's. 

He couldn't help but feel that he was back in the races, running around at top speed, moving his mech as if it were his own agile body. Jumping, spinning, and hurling through the air. Shooting, dogging, and running for two things…your life and 1st place. Right now, whatever skill and strength Alex had gained from the races had been called back out of retirement. This is where he belonged.

The Clanner kept a steady flow of pulse lasers trained on his mech, and now Alex was becoming worried about his left torso, which was now orange. He didn't have any CASE systems installed and if he had an ammo explosion…

Alex fired one of his large lasers at the clanner while backpedaling, the laser hit the right arm of the Falcon's _Cougar_ splashing armor into the lake where it boiled and then cooled. 

The clanner responded with his Large Pulse Laser and his Large Laser. The Large Laser scored his center torso, however there was armor there to spare. The pulse laser kept a steady flow of energy concentrated on his mech while he tried to duck away. 

Alex instantly tried forming a strategy to try to put the damned clanner out of his misery, and one that, if not suicidal, just might work. He spotted a plot in the terrain where the ground rose up sharply and turned to it, revealing his back to the clanner.

"Ha! Running already? You Freebirths are all the same!" The clanner said in a victorious tone.

He let the clanner close in on his mech a little bit then ran at full speed towards the slope, all the time keeping an eye on his rear-view camera. As soon as his mech's foot reached the edge of the slope, he fired his jump jets, and flew off like jumping off a ramp. Immediately he rocketed upwards with sheer speed as a combined result of the ramp, speed, and his Clan Jump Jets. 

The clanner, not anticipating the move, shot his torso up and tried to do the same, however he tripped on the steep slope and slammed his mech's nose into the bank.

Alex kept pressure on his pedals, he was doing this on a long shot and if he let up now he was history. He eyed the rafters and passed over them easily. He then used his maneuvering jets to position him self so that he could actually land on one. It was tricky and the beam was very thin, however he managed to pull it off. He couldn't turn to the side unless he used his jump jets again, and he had barely any fuel left to lift his mech up an inch.

The clanner got his mech up from the ground and immediately began sweeping the area for his target. 

"Where are you? Come and fight me Freebirth!" He yelled.

Alex laughed to himself, not knowing he was still on the private frequency but he didn't say anything that might reveal his position. He slowly, and carefully aimed his mechs arm down at the Falcon, and as he brought his displays up, he moved his targeting reticle very carefully towards the _Cougar's_ cockpit. 

_One less Clanner, and a better Inner Sphere. _He thought to himself.

Alex closed his hands around the trigger slowly, savoring the moment. He was ready to pull when all of a sudden Duncan's voice roared over the open frequency.

"Oh ho wow! I don't know how he did it, but he did! That _Cougar _pilot deployed an excellent strategy and rocketed up to the rafters right before…"

"Damn you Ficher!" Alex yelled, for as soon as Duncan gave away his position, the clanner backed away from his spot at its top speed, and turned to the rafters to find his target. 

Alex immediately fired his jump jets again, which had fully recharged during that time, and brought his mech over the clanner's before he could spot him. However, Alex miss timed and was not able to land on the _Cougar_ as he had planned, but instead landed directly in front of the Falcon, with only inches to spare in between their noses. 

Alex's _Cougar_ landed with a startling thud, and managed to surprise even the battle-hardened clanner. His face was tight and stony, not moving the slightest bit. His eyes radiated a dark fire as he stared directly into the clanner's face. The Jade Falcon had the same expression glued into his visage. Alex took time to note his appearance, though he didn't know why he did so…perhaps he would kill the bastard later.

 "What in the Founder's name was that?" The Clanner asked. "You fight well freebirth, but you continue to prove to me that you are no less capable than performing dezgra tactics to defeat your enemy."

"Oh? We'll see about that!' Alex said, and fired all his Streak SRM's at point-blank range. His mech was caught in the explosions and damaged as well, however, it still didn't do enough damage to bring him into the Orange Zone and he stayed safely yellow.

"Freebirth!" The clanner yelled in surprise. The SRM's did severe damage and Alex jumped his mech away before the Falcon could retaliate. As soon as he landed however hundreds of darts of emerald green energy began to strike dangerously close to his cockpit. Several shots got so close, that when several lasers hit, it splashed molten armor on the viewport and nearly melted through! 

Alex saw that the Clanner had been holding out on him, so he chose to do the same. He charged his mech forward and suddenly veered to the right of the still stationary mech, and twisted his torso to the left and began a tight circle around the clanner.

He squeezed the trigger for his Lasers and hoped that one would hit. The laser that shot out from his left arm passed through the Flacon's legs and flung dirt everywhere when it connected with the ground. The latter scored the clanner's right arm, and dragged it down into the red zone.

The Clanner jumped backwards suddenly and left Alex on the ground just as he was completing his circle. He let Alex move right into his crosshairs and triggered an Alpha Strike. The Large laser struck his arm and severed it at the elbow. Alex winced from the shock delivered in his neuro-helmet, armor splashed and sizzled where ever it landed. The Pulse lasers continued to have little effect, but kept drilling holes into Alex's mech. The LRM's came last and blasted away more armor on his center torso. His mech rocked slightly, and Alex fought to keep it under control. His center torso was now orange and he had to get out of the clanner's reticles, or out of the way completely if he was planning a D.F.A. attack. He drove hard to the right and reversed his circle, the clanner touched down on the opposite side and Alex fired his SRM's at him while the Falcon tried to speed up. Almost all of them hit the clanner's right side, and obliterated the LRM Launcher in the Right Torso. The blast ignited the LRM's there and the Falcon's _Cougar_ disappeared in a plume of orange and yellow fire. Alex smiled with satisfaction as the explosion blew the clanner to the ground at a near 60 k.p.h. 

"Stravag!" The clanner yelled once, and then was silent after impact. 

Alex slowed his mech down once more to reanalyze the situation. He was down to 48% of his original armor strength, and one of his large lasers was gone, he was at about 17 more salvos for each of his CSTRK 6's though. 

However even though the luck was against him, nothing could dampen his spirits after beating a lost, yet battle-hardened Clanner. He spurred his mech into action and saw a PPC blast flash past him, barely scraping the paint off his mech. He kept in motion and glanced at his scanners to find a badly damaged _Puma_ racing towards him. He immediately turned and fired off his large laser, which hit the top of the mech's 'turtle shell.' Molten armor instantly melted and sprayed off in every direction, and left a long half-pipe all the way through the top of the shell. 

The _Puma_ pitched its torso down and stumbled a little, but was somehow able to keep running towards Alex and his mech.

Alex swerved his mech towards the _Puma_ and fired his CSTRK's at it. One salvo splashed damage all over the right torso of the mech. The other passed high of the _Puma_ and spiraled around behind it, futilely trying to compensate for their miss. 

The blasts seemed stop the mech's advance as if it had run into a brick wall, but the illusion passed as the battered _Puma_ charged out of the smoke and fired its PPC's at Alex's cougar once again. Both shots carved massive amounts of armor away from Alex's mech's right leg, damaging several actuators in the ankle. Alex winced from the feedback the Neuro-Helmet gave him, but staggered along nonetheless and returned the favor with his ER Large Laser. The emerald lance shot out and struck the mech directly in the center torso melting away the last bit of armor it had there and destroyed the engine.

Immediately an ejection pod shot out from the cockpit and left the mech to die at Alex's feet. The _Puma_ ran two more clumsy steps after the ejection and then fell haphazardly in front of Alex's crippled _Cougar_. 

Alex fired his jump jets to clear the area before the fallen _Puma's _reactor could go critical. He landed 100 meters away and fell upon his landing due to his mech's nearly destroyed ankle. He got up a little groggily, but found himself facing the lake again where a _Wolf Hound _and a _Flea_ were aimlessly dancing around each other. By reading his scanners, only the _Flea _had working weapons. The _Wolf Hound_ had both its arms blown off and apparently its center torso was nearly cored, the weapons there also destroyed. The _Flea_ was out of ammo for its weak Machine Guns and only had one Small Pulse Laser operational. The two danced around each other, though both were near critical damage, a fight with a single small pulse laser was a long one.

Alex brought his _Cougar_ to a halt safely out of range of the two in their prolonged dance of death, and fired his Large Laser at the Flea. The emerald lance shot out towards the weakened mech and severed its leg as such that it passed right through it and struck the ground behind it. The pilot ejected immediately and his mech crumbled to the ground. The Kill Horn sounded and the _Wolf Hound _brought itself to a dead halt. It turned towards Alex and opened a channel to him. 

"I'd like to surrender." The pilot said in a grudging voice, "Busted up as it is I'd rather give up rather than you trash my mech."

Alex smiled. "Granted."

The last pilot resigned his mech to a shutdown and Alex was awarded the first place in the lightweight circuit.

Ok, I know that dragged on a little bit. And I'm also aware that the ending wasn't very glamorous, but I wanted to get this chapter up and out before anything else. ::sighs:: I don't think I'll ever get this mech action right, and you may hate it but I think I'm going to keep trying. Oh yea, and I have two mech warrior novels now. Not the original BT stuff I don't think, but it's the Mech Warrior Series nonetheless…and I finally got the difference between Clan and IS names for mechs (sorry about that Wobbly Guy). Yes I believe I will be employing a strategy my English teacher informed me of, and that is the Willing Suspension of Disbelief. It will apply to anything from physics in the story to stats on mechs. I know it's not the best thing to do but I'm going to beg that of you until I can learn more about the BT universe. Ok now those reviews…

**Yeth: **Thanks, which one do you mean though? Good or bad, or so bad its good (and vice versa?) lol

**Duo: **I must admit, I was only operating off of a bad multiplayer configuration my friend gave me, he likes the range advantage the light gauss gives him, though it wouldn't be needed in the stadium, I just put it down because I like the Lt. Gauss too. Were all snipers lol. 

**Cauldron Born ROCKS!!!: **Yes true. I kept in mind the fact that there maybe some gamers who own the game and nothing else…like myself.

**The Wobbly Guy: **I have no doubt you're right. Honestly I have no idea what those are though. In multiplayer it's easy to conquer an _Atlas_ with a _Daishi_, _Haputman_, or even a _Gladiator. _However the game makes the _Atlas_ look to be the almighty conqueror, and so I just put it in the story. Indeed the _Atlas_ is over-rated, but in the story of the game I guess its still one to be "feared."


	4. Well deserved recognition

Thor's Shield Hall 

_Silesias City_

_Solaris VII_

_._

_._

A group of inebriated men happily cheered and clapped in a corner of the bar. They slammed their mugs and then took long pulls, as was the fashion. In truth, more were there for the free alcohol rather than the real occasion, but they still made a happy and functioning crowd.

The genuine members of the "celebration" were packed tightly into a corner. There were the two stars sitting uncomfortably in the center, obviously sober compared to their comrades; a small group of Comstar reporters as well as a familiar face on Solaris, and finally, there was a man of fifty or so sitting passively to the side of the group.

"Well anyway, I was just saying that I was amazed with both of your performances. It's extremely rare that _any _fresh Solaris jock would just come in out of nowhere and rank," Duncan said, "In fact, the last person to do that was the venerable Specter…"

"Well, we were mercs for awhile before this," Alex tried to explain, "I was a mech racer even before that and Kyle's an expert at handling all the heavy artillery."

Duncan smiled, "What I'd like to know is where the hell you got all of your skills."

Kyle pointed to Chuck sitting in the corner, "That's our old instructor, Sgt. Chuck Masters. We owe everything we know to him."

Duncan turned his attention to the gruff old man and almost instantly noticed the Dragoon's insignia on his jacket.

"You're a Wolf? What are you doing way out here in Steiner space?" Duncan asked raising an eyebrow.

Chuck snorted, "I'm keeping these two out of trouble. They may be two favorite students of mine, and two of the best, but they've always barely gotten alive out of everything."

"Like…"

"Use your imagination," Chuck smirked, "Think of something real bad…they've lived through it. I guarantee you that. Let's see now…orbital bombardment, nuclear warheads, pirate attacks, the worst of some Lostech…"

"Chuck…" Alex stopped him from rambling on now that the Comstar reporters were beginning to look a little furtive.

"Huh? Oh right, right. Anyway, I put everything I knew into these boys and their squad members, and it's certainly paid off it looks like."

"Certainly does," Duncan said "I'll be honest boys; I don't normally do this. I didn't do this with pros like Alex Haight, Peter Sargas, or even Specter."

"Do what exactly?" Alex asked.

"I never came and greeted rookies for their first rank-ins. I might have come after they were favorites or had advanced a circuit…"

"And so what's inspired you to put a black mark on that record?" Kyle asked, his arrogance starting to swell.

"I just have to say that was some of the best mech action I've ever seen in my life; and if you know me, you'll know that I've seen a lot of action. Kyle, the way you battered your way through those assaults and met Sargas' skill with your own; well, that's amazing in itself, not to mention the maneuvers you pulled despite the worst circumstances."

Kyle flushed and beamed, Chuck had to swivel around to hide his laughter. Watching Kyle's ego inflate was entertainment he couldn't pay for.

"And Alex, I've heard that the way you piloted your mech will become pure reference material for racers, trainers, and even mech-action movies. Not to mention that clanner either! He's been notorious throughout the light circuit for sometime now," Duncan went on.

"Has he?" Alex asked indifferently.

"He sure is…but not the favorite of many I'm afraid. From what we know he's pretty much by himself out here, but he's been able to rank in every match he's entered so far."

Kyle and Alex's ensuing silence put the entire group through a moment of unease. At last though, one of the tipsy by-standers broke the silence by raising his pint.

"To the action soon to come!" He said.

Duncan, Kyle, Alex, and the rest jumped a little bit from the sudden outburst but all raised their mugs and drank to the two rookies fresh into the league.

.

Later, after everything had quieted down and the party had thinned out, Kyle, Alex, and Chuck walked over to the bar to order one last drink. They each took a place on a stool and sat for a moment in silence, sipping nervously at their drinks.

At length, it was Alex who broke the silence.

"So, old chap, are you going to leave for real this time? Or are you going to stay because you're too worried about us?"

"Worried?" Chuck snorted, "Hah! I just was here to make sure you ranked in your first match! If my two best students failed at something as easy as the Solaris games then I'd be a laughing stock back on Outreach!"

Alex and Kyle felt their hearts plummet to the floor.

Chuck went on, "When you've survived every single ruthless weapon the universe has to throw at you, it builds you a reputation."

Kyle snorted, "Really? Then why haven't we ever seen our names in the Comstar headlines eh?"

Chuck looked at Kyle in an idiosyncratic way that both men knew only too well. It was his way of telling Kyle how much of an idiot he is.

"Has it ever occurred to you that when ever you survived, all evidence of your claims was erased as well? Think about it! Nuclear strikes…well that's not leaving much evidence to go back on is it? Orbital bombardment too, I doubt the MRBC would believe in the torched records from your totaled dropships. Let's see now, what else? Oh yes, that ambush from pirates around Tortuga! What the hell were you doing out there with a company of battle mechs anyway? Then there's Lostech! No one would _ever_ believe that the Word of Blake would—"

Chuck stopped dead when he noticed that the bartender had stopped cleaning mugs and was eyeing him closely. Chuck shrank back and turned to his students.

"It's the beer…" He said pathetically.

After another short silence, Alex chimed in again.

"So…you're telling me that the only reason you came was to make sure your reputation didn't crumble?"

"Hell no! Of all the brightest and quick thinking students I have, you two are by far my favorites! Every thing we've been through—well, you're like the sons I never had! I couldn't just let you go down on your first try!"

Alex and Kyle stared at their mentor with thoughtful eyes.

"So you really were worried about us then?" Alex asked quietly.

Chuck's small eyes glazed over and his gruff voice faltered, "Hell yes…"

.

"So then, you're really going back to Outreach?" Kyle asked after awhile.

"Yeah…the next term will be starting soon, and I can't keep my students waiting. Plus, I have a family to take care of too you know. I have a loving wife, and two daughters…one of which is pregnant," Chuck said.

Kyle fell out of his chair.

"Beer…! It's just the beer!" Kyle said scrambling back onto the stool.

Chuck resisted the urge to punch the living daylights out of his student and instead took a long pull from his glass.

Alex paid the bartender for the drinks then all three men stood up and made their way towards the door. As they stood out on the sidewalk of Arnulf Street, they found themselves in a familiar situation.

"Well then I guess this is goodbye…until you boys come crying back to my class room," Chuck smirked waving for a taxi.

"Oh we'll come back sometime, but we won't be crying," Kyle said somewhat defensively. "Oh…and say hi to Sarah for me."

Chuck snorted with the slightest sign of defiance but shrugged it off and resigned to friendliness. "Sure…I'll tell her you miss her," Chuck said with a final stab.

It seemed to Alex that Kyle suddenly lost his footing, but when he blinked Kyle was just kicking the heel of his boot, muttering something about a puddle. Alex and Chuck exchanged glances and suppressed the urge to laugh…indeed there was a puddle, but it was from Kyle's burst ego bubble.

A taxi finally pulled up and Chuck casually climbed in, shut the door and rolled down the window. The two warriors stared long and hard at their teacher. Chuck smiled and nodded.

"Kick some ass you two," he said as the taxi sped off.

There was no need to say goodbye.

.

With Chuck gone, the two men started towards the Royal Inn.

"So…are you actually going to come back with me this time? Or will you insist on getting lost again?" Kyle asked.

"Nah…I'll meet up with you later. I have to walk off all this alcohol anyhow."

Kyle blew an annoyed sigh but gave up, "I've told you before! Exercise _won't _work off alcohol, but fine! Have it your way. I don't see why though…I just better not have to report you missing got it?"

The two men came to an intersection and split up. Alex called out to his partner as he crossed the street.

"I got it, I got it. I'll be back before you know it!"

Kyle waited until Alex was out of earshot then began muttering to himself.

"Back before I know it eh? In what century?! 100 C-Bills says he'll find himself in the Montenegro sector by tomorrow morning!"

.

.

.__

Montenegro Sector, Silesias City, Solaris VII 

_02:00:00 Hours_

_._

_Damn, _Alex thought. _Where the hell am I now?_

It was true—Alex had no sense of direction whatsoever. Without the compass and heading displays on his mech's HUD, he was always lost. However, he was an explorer by heart. He would always study the terrain of entire planetary regions when he was a merc, and read mech race routes like the Bible…but of course, on every map he was told the compass directions, and thus knew his way. By exploring he always thought he would know the area better, but he was sadly mistaken.

Alex looked frantically around him for a sign or a police car or something that could help him…but he found none. Defeated and thoroughly lost, he sat down to think.

He sat for a good fifteen minutes before a strangled cry caught his attention. He turned his head toward the direction of the cry and heard the definite sounds of a fight.

Immediately he stood up and started off in the direction of the brawl. He came across an alleyway where he thought he saw two figures beating another on the ground. He couldn't see their faces but he knew that the man on the ground needed help.

"Hey! Hey break it up!" He yelled. The two standing figures immediately stopped and looked at Alex for a second, then bolted down the alleyway.

Alex gritted his teeth, "You bloody cowards! Come back 'ere and I'll break your friggen' necks!"

The attackers, of course, didn't come back and Alex turned his attention to the man lying on the ground. The man groaned as Alex tried to shake him awake.

"You all right?" Alex asked. When he didn't get a response, he started fumbling around for his penlight so he could see how badly hurt the man was, and get a good look at his face.

The figure groaned and coughed again, trying to sit up. "Oh no," Alex said, "You just sit here and I'll go for some help—"

Alex was cut short by a punch in the face. Surprised, he stood, backed up to the opposite wall and raised his fists.

"What the devil—?"

The man had stood up as well and now threw another punch towards Alex, who pivoted to avoid it. Now with his back to the street, Alex backed all the way to the sidewalk for some relief from a street lamp.

With his fists at the ready, Alex watched a shadow step into the light. As soon as it's face was visible though, Alex dropped his hands and stared in awe at the man's face.

"Freebirth…" the clanner uttered.

.

.

.

Ok sry about this one guys. I just needed to throw it out. I'm also really sorry about not getting this chapter up sooner. I've been working on a different fic that was sparked by a bunch of reviews. Um, about the mech action….not much here obviously. I'm gonna bring him in to the loop for the rest of the fic and introduce a whole new style of fighting soon enough (unless of course it was already there).

Sorry it took so long.

.

**Yeth: **Yes! I'm a guy who loves to fill in the blanks…the in between stories if you will. And as for the typo, we all make them. It was just a little confusing lol. "

**Duo: **I believe the standard configuration for a _Cougar _is an ER Lg Laser, ER Med Laser, ER Sm Laser, and duel LRM 10 banks. What I had for Alex and the green turkey were more custom configs that I tried out in the game. They seemed to work pretty well, aside from the fact that Clan Equip was freaking expensive! Oh and don't worry about the _Fafnir, _it'll be back with a vengeance soon enough. ;)

batu2pahat: Yeah…something I noticed when I first started reading MW is that the boys at FASA and BT created an entire universe for us. I didn't want to start writing without knowing _something…_so I did some homework. Well heat levels yea…I'll fix that. Just remember though its hard to pay attention to it when your annihilating enemy mechs and you cant feel the heat yourself. As for all the clan mechs…I'll definitely have to pay attention to that too. As for Fanfir…well lets call that a typo until I fix it lol. I think I might have spelled Duncan's last name wrong too on several occasions but I'm too lazy to go back and check lol. 

**Jonny: **Well...that's a tough one lol. Well……….I _am _a clan fan so I'm going to say a _Mad Cat_ or a _Hellhound _or an _Ares _loaded with AC's, but the IS _Templar _is pretty good too.

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Thnx all! Read and Review!


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